The NSW Health Leadership Framework

The NSW Health Leadership Framework July 2013

Foreword It is with great pleasure that I recommend to you the first NSW Health Leadership Framework. This framework has been developed by the Health Education and Training Institute (HETI) as part of its remit from the Minister to take the lead on leadership development for NSW Health and to support the strategic approach of the Health Professionals Workforce Plan 2012 2025. The framework has been shaped by the latest international evidence and a broad consultation process within the NSW Health system. This means the framework reflects the critical importance that the literature and consultations have placed on the need for collective and innovative approaches to leadership in order that healthcare organisations can rise to the complex challenges they face over the next ten years. The leadership approach in the NSW Health Leadership Framework emphasises that leadership can be exercised anywhere in a hospital or health service organisation; leadership is not solely the responsibility of positional leaders. The framework reinforces the centrality of leadership that requires shared action by those from different professional disciplines. Collaborative leadership is a critical ingredient in fostering the interprofessional teamwork between clinicians and non-clinical managers that is so important for ensuring excellence in delivering care centred on the patient or health consumer. HETI looks forward to engaging in dialogue with other parts of the NSW Health system to promote effective use and adoption of this framework. The focus of such dialogue will be on exploring potential applications of the framework and possible synergies from developing partnerships with organisations both within and outside the system. Heather Gray Chief Executive Health Education and Training Institute NSW Health

Acknowledgements The NSW Health Leadership Framework is adapted from the Leads in a Caring Environment Framework, with the kind permission of the Canadian LEADS Collaborative. HETI acknowledges the contribution of the late Dr Marilyn Powell in developing the first draft versions of the NSW Health Leadership Framework. The framing of the leadership management relationship is based on definitions presented in the book In the Leadership Mode by Don Dunoon (Trafford 2008, Ch. 4). Health Education and Training Institute (HETI) Building 12 Gladesville Hospital GLADESVILLE NSW 2111 Tel. (02) 9844 6551 Fax. (02) 9844 6544 www.heti.nsw.gov.au info@heti.nsw.gov.au Post. Locked Bag 5022 GLADESVILLE NSW 1675 National library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Title: The NSW health leadership framework / Health Education and Training Institute ISBN 9781741878202 (paperback) Subjects: Public health--new South Wales. Health planning--new South Wales. Leadership--New South Wales. Other Authors/Contributors: Health Education and Training Institute Dewey Number: 362.109944 Suggested Citation: Health Education and Training Institute 2013, The NSW Health Leadership Framework, HETI, Sydney This work is copyright. It may be reproduced in whole or in part for study or training purposes subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgement of the source. It may not be reproduced for commercial usage or sale. Reproduction for purposes other than those indicated requires written permission from HETI. HETI June 2013 For further copies of this document please contact HETI or download a digital copy from the HETI website: www.heti.nsw.gov.au/programs/leadership

Leadership for excellent care, results and change Achieving outcomes Transforming the system Health leadership in NSW: a framework for excellent care, results and change Developing and leading self Partnering and collaborating across boundaries Engaging people and building relationships NSW Health Leadership The NSW public health system needs effective leadership to deliver excellent patient and user-centred care and results in line with service and performance agreements. Leadership is critical in enabling the substantial change required to create a more responsive, productive and sustainable system. This framework, based on evidence and international best practice, is designed to support the development of such leadership. An evidence-based structure to support leadership development for the NSW public health system Development of the framework This framework is informed by international experience and best practice drawn from the USA, Canada, the UK and Singapore with a five domain structure based on the Canadian Leads in a Caring Environment framework. Initial development work in 2012 involved a literature review, consideration of the UK and Canadian approaches, and interviews with six international leadership development experts. A draft framework was made available for consultation with Chief Executives of the Local Health Districts and was endorsed by the NSW Health Senior Executive Forum in late 2012. A revised draft was the subject of further consultations with NSW Health organisations in April-May 2013. Feedback from these consultations has informed the development of the framework presented here. 1

The concepts of leadership underpinning the framework Collective and individual leadership Leadership development in NSW Health, as elsewhere, has tended to focus primarily on the development of individual leaders. This remains an important challenge. Yet transforming the system for greater responsiveness and sustainability requires action to tackle tough challenges by committed people working together as well as individually. Both collective and individual leadership are needed. Accordingly, this framework focuses on the work and practice of leadership as well as the observable behaviours of individual leaders. Leadership is needed at all levels throughout the system NSW Health recognises that leadership can be exercised anywhere in a hospital or health service organisation. It is not simply a matter of leadership performance in particular positions. What differs in the exercise of leadership between levels in the system is primarily the context in which leadership is practised, rather than the nature of the desired capabilities and behaviours. Future development of the NSW Health Leadership Framework will take into account differences in the context for leadership work at different levels in the system. Leadership and management The NSW Health system requires people at all levels with both leadership and management capacity to function effectively. In order to create that dynamic capacity, NSW Health requires individual executives, managers (and also increasingly clinicians) to be proficient in management-oriented work as well as leadership. Management action focuses on explicit, relatively concrete phenomena (such as structures, processes and measures), on task-related action at points in time and is based in relevant authority. Leadership action, on the other hand, is relational; the emphasis is on building shared understandings to enable change with challenging issues. This intentional focus on the quality of interaction between people is the ingredient that creates the conditions for better outcome achievement and change. People at all levels in NSW Health need to be able to exercise both forms of action according to what is most needed at particular times. The capabilities presented here are designed to support and reflect leadership-oriented action while acknowledging that some of them can be viewed from a managementoriented perspective as well. As a separate piece of work, HETI will also develop and articulate a set of management-oriented capabilities for people in NSW Health. Five domains The model frames leadership in terms of five domains: Achieving outcomes Developing and leading self Engaging people and building relationships Partnering and collaborating across boundaries Transforming the system. For each domain a set of four capabilities is defined and for each capability a set of three behavioural descriptors. The intention is to point to the kinds of specific observable actions associated with effective leadership in a health care context. How the framework will be used The framework will provide an underpinning for leadership development programs in NSW Health both in reviewing existing programs and setting up new ones. The framework will also provide the basis for developmental 360-degree feedback and related tools. Importantly, the framework will provide a common language and set of concepts and definitions to inform discussions about leadership in the NSW Health system. The NSW Health Leadership Framework is designed as a catalyst for developmental change in individuals and as a scaffold for the construction of new forms of leadership in healthcare organisations committed to patient and user-centred high performance. 2

NSW Health Leadership Framework DOMAINS AND CAPABILITIES Achieving outcomes Building a common vision for future health outcomes Using outcomes for patients and clients as well as service agreements to drive performance Focusing on what makes a difference to results Being accountable for performance and resources. Developing and leading self Demonstrating self-awareness Actively seeking personal growth Modelling desired behaviours and values Taking responsibility for own performance and contribution to the service agreement. Engaging people and building relationships Facilitating effective team processes Fostering the development of others Harnessing talent and diversity Creating workplace culture environments where people can contribute. Partnering and collaborating across boundaries Employing a collaborative approach to transforming the organisation Mobilising people to undertake collaborative action for service transformation Creating cross-sectoral collaborations to deliver service agreements Encouraging fresh insights from diverse sources to foster innovation. Transforming the system Shaping a preferred future for health service delivery Demonstrating critical and systems thinking Assessing and working through resistance and other impediments to change Being politically astute and building support for change. 3

NSW Health Leadership Framework DOMAINS, CAPABILITIES AND BEHAVIOURAL DESCRIPTORS Achieving outcomes Capabilities Building a common vision for future health outcomes Behavioural Descriptors Engages with others to clarify a clear and compelling vision that is ambitious but achievable Demonstrates a grounded appreciation of the current state, opportunities and challenges in fulfilling the vision Draws on the vision, assessments of present realities, evidence and values to inform decision making Using outcomes for patients and clients as well as service agreements to drive performance Focusing on what makes a difference to results Being accountable for performance and resources Creates shared clarity as to what it means to focus on patient and client outcomes as well as the service agreement Draws forth the fullest contribution of people in achieving desired outcomes Uses outcome measures and other data to inform and build momentum for improvement efforts Builds shared meaning as to the most critical success factors Aligns effort and resources to support advancement on critical success factors and key performance indicators Notices and acts on factors that might lead to unexpected or unintended results Demonstrates self-responsibility and encourages professional responsibility in others to achieve high standards, milestones and results Discerns and makes explicit the contributions of all when celebrating results achieved Seeks improvements that add value for patients and clients and improve efficiency Achieving outcomes Developing and leading self Engaging people and building relationships Partnering and collaborating across boundaries Transforming the system 4

NSW Health Leadership Framework DOMAINS, CAPABILITIES AND BEHAVIOURAL DESCRIPTORS Developing and leading self Capabilities Demonstrating self-awareness Actively seeking personal growth Modelling desired behaviours and values Taking responsibility for own performance and contribution to the service agreement Behavioural Descriptors Recognises and questions own assumptions, attitudes and beliefs Open to other views and ideas; avoids premature judgment Reflects on own contribution and experience Recognises and builds on own strengths Actively seeks and acts on feedback including indication of a need for personal/behaviour change or development Demonstrates openness to personal learning and development Demonstrates consistency between words and actions Inspires others through personal modelling of the NSW Health CORE values Recognises own emotions and regulates responses Sees own performance in the context of organisational or system goals Shapes performance with service to others in mind Shows perseverance and resilience in working towards goals Achieving outcomes Developing and leading self Engaging people and building relationships Partnering and collaborating across boundaries Transforming the system 5

NSW Health Leadership Framework DOMAINS, CAPABILITIES AND BEHAVIOURAL DESCRIPTORS Engaging people and building relationships Capabilities Facilitating effective team processes Behavioural Descriptors Develops team capacity to self-regulate behaviour and achieve desired outcomes Helps team look outwards and actively engage with external stakeholders Identifies, and works through with others, issues and challenges impacting on team performance Fostering the development of others Harnessing talent and diversity Creating workplace cultures where people can contribute Challenges and supports people to achieve their personal and professional goals in line with the service agreement Fosters collaborative growth and mutual learning involving all disciplines Assists others in developing their own capacity to exercise leadership Recognises, acknowledges and values the unique contribution of individuals Achieves creative synergies through harnessing different perspectives Assists people to keep an open mind when considering different viewpoints Builds a culture of interprofessional collaboration to achieve results Facilitates people to apply their strengths towards desired outcomes Identifies and helps remove obstacles impacting on performance Achieving outcomes Developing and leading self Engaging people and building relationships Partnering and collaborating across boundaries Transforming the system 6

NSW Health Leadership Framework DOMAINS, CAPABILITIES AND BEHAVIOURAL DESCRIPTORS Partnering and collaborating across boundaries Capabilities Employing a collaborative approach to transforming the organisation Mobilising people to undertake collaborative action for service transformation Creating crosssectoral collaborations to deliver service agreements Encouraging fresh insights from diverse sources to foster innovation Behavioural Descriptors Displays the courage to venture and operate beyond formal positional or disciplinary boundaries Looks for and acts on opportunities for joint action in working through difficult challenges Recognises and constructively challenges organisational cultural norms Inspires collaborative behaviour in others through own example Brings people together across system boundaries to shape new service directions and possibilities Examines and helps overcome impediments to collaborative action Finds common ground with stakeholders as a basis for creating new value Responsive to the cultural realities and interests of partner organisations Leverages different areas of knowledge and expertise to productive effect Fosters an environment of inquisitiveness, creativity and experimentation Encourages and supports shared inquiry through exploring meanings and assumptions Values relationships as a key to initiating, activating, and embedding innovation Achieving outcomes Developing and leading self Engaging people and building relationships Partnering and collaborating across boundaries Transforming the system 7

NSW Health Leadership Framework DOMAINS, CAPABILITIES AND BEHAVIOURAL DESCRIPTORS Transforming the system Capabilities Shaping a preferred future for health service delivery Demonstrating critical and systems thinking Assessing and working through resistance and other impediments to change Being politically astute and building support for change Behavioural Descriptors Brings to the surface and constructively challenges current paradigms Seeks out and utilises new information, research findings and ideas relevant to health care delivery Draws forth and stimulates ideas and intelligence for change Works with ambiguity and uncertainty; avoids over-simplification Adopts a systems perspective, seeing the context, connections and interrelationships Frames the challenge of change, drawing on the perspectives of patients, clients and other stakeholders Seeks to appreciate the issues and interests, including underlying aspects, as they appear to others Explores others concerns and tests interpretations with them Frames solutions that take into account the legitimate needs and aspirations of relevant parties Uses influence positively throughout the system Facilitates shared leadership for change Actively supports local ownership of health reform Achieving outcomes Developing and leading self Engaging people and building relationships Partnering and collaborating across boundaries Transforming the system 8

NSW Health CORE Values The Health Education and Training Institute (HETI) undertakes a central role in supporting the NSW Health system in its education and training requirements. HETI works closely with local health districts, pillar organisations, specialty health networks and other public health organisations as well as health education and training providers to ensure the development and delivery of health education and training across the NSW Health system. HETI is committed to working according to NSW Health CORE values: C Collaboration O Openness R Respect E Empowerment 9

For further information contact: HETI Leadership Unit Tel. (02) 9844 6551 Fax. (02) 9844 6544 info@heti.nsw.gov.au Building 12 Gladesville Hospital GLADESVILLE NSW 2111 Locked Bag 5022 GLADESVILLE NSW 1675 www.heti.nsw.gov.au

Health Education and Training Institute NSW 2013 ISBN 978-1-74187-820-2